ES1267850U - TRANSFER DEVICE FOR LARGE TONNAGE VEHICLES BY RAILWAY (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding) - Google Patents

Abstract

Device (1) for the transfer of large tonnage vehicles (2) by rail track (3), of the type comprising a platform (4) where the vehicle (2) is embarked, with railway wheels (5) and hitches railway (6) front and rear to be coupled to a train, for circulation on track (3); characterized by comprising: - a gondola (6), formally and dimensionally suitable for boarding the vehicle (2) to be transported, and - hydraulic lifting means that are interposed between the nacelle (6) and the railway wheels (5). (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding)

Description

DESCRIPTION

Device for the transfer of large tonnage vehicles by rail

Object of the Invention

The present invention relates to a device for moving large tonnage vehicles by rail.

Background of the invention

At present, a combined transport system is known as a railway highway, which consists of a railway shuttle line intended for the transport of trucks. The trucks travel the route to the beginning of the railway highway by road, are mounted on special wagons (platforms), and are unloaded at the final station to continue by road to their destination. Its purpose is to combine the advantages of economy and safety of the railroad and of direct access to the destination of transport by truck.

This concept of rail highway differs from the simple transport of trucks by rail, or containers, in that it is a fixed route between two stations specially prepared for this service, where the railway company is exclusively responsible for transport during the rail highway, being oblivious to the logistics of the truck before and after the railway section.

Rail highways are established for various reasons, such as increasing the share of rail transport by partially transporting those goods that require a truck, or serving as an alternative route that avoids the circulation of trucks on dangerous routes such as mountain ranges.

However, these rail highways have the disadvantage that they require expensive special wagons, and also huge and sophisticated infrastructures that allow the trucks to be loaded onto the train, such as loading docks with lateral or rotating shifters, ramps and enormously long shipping chains, etc. This represents a limitation that has truncated the potential evolution of rail motorways.

To remedy these drawbacks, the applicant is the owner of the utility model 202030512 referring to a device for the transfer of large tonnage vehicles by rail, turning a truck into a freight wagon that comprises:

-at least, two running trains (ideally eight trains) of first railway support wheels on the rails (each train comprising one or more axles with respective side railway wheels (solid, with lower flange), comprising at least one train front and a rear axle,

- some anchors for direct fixing of said trains of railway wheels to the structure of the vehicle (chassis), removable, which allows the commercialization of the trains as kits, and - a light leveling and dragging platform, comprising:

-A second supporting rail wheels on the rails

-a support surface during the boarding of the vehicle, which is arranged by the size and arrangement of its wheels and structure, at a height equal to a boarding platform,

-some recesses for the first railway wheels,

-at least one hitch for securing the vehicle to the platform, and

-rail couplings of the platform to a locomotive or railway train.

In this way, by fixing the anchors to the structure of the truck, it can circulate on the track, dragged by the train, like a wagon, taking advantage of the rail motorway concept at a much lower cost. To be able to hook it to the train or locomotive, the leveling and dragging platform is used, which is nothing more than a false drag structure, supporting only the support of the truck's tires, since the total weight of the truck is supported For the first railway wheels, the braking of the entire convoy will be the exclusive function of the second railway wheels of the platform, which will be smaller in diameter, and preferably between three and four wheels each support to have more friction surface for braking.

But it is also that this has the following additional advantages:

-The investment of the administration is the most benefited of the three intervening parties.

-get energy savings, an improvement in road safety and the most important, given the growing social alarm, is the reduction of polluting emissions.

For this reason, it would be assumed that the administration was willing to promote and subsidize the project.

-The investment of the railway company is greatly reduced, thanks to changing a transport wagon for a light towing platform.

-The investment that the carrier makes in the truck gives it an immediate direct benefit, which sets it apart from its competitors.

Also get:

-Very important fuel savings.

-A very important extension in the life of the truck.

-A saving of personnel by requiring only one driver.

-A greater speed in the routes by not having to make breaks, since the driver will rest in the sleeping car or the passenger car; Also, it is possible that the driver does not have to travel with the convoy, coordinating a driver upon arrival at the destination.

-In the short term, these trucks could be hybrid or electric since most of their journeys will be made on the railroad and therefore charging their batteries, consuming their own energy only on the approach routes to the station of origin and to the final destination.

On the part of the rail network it will also be interesting because:

-Remarkably simplifies the towing vehicle.

-Minimizes the cost of the system, since part of the investment is assumed by the carrier.

-You do not have to make large investments in infrastructure, since currently disused stations can be recovered, as, in the case of the Spanish railways, Portbou, Irún, Vilamalla, La Sagrera, etc.

-At the level of the Spanish railways, it would enable the international AVE line for the transport of goods, which currently cannot be used due to excess weight and in some tunnels, due to height limitations.

-At the level of the Spanish railways, it could be the solution for the implementation of the Mediterranean corridor.

-At the international trade level, it could solve the distribution throughout Europe, of the goods arriving at the port from Asia.

Despite all these advantages, placing the truck on the track at the appropriate height to respect the gauges of the tracks (power lines, tunnels) implies placing the platform at a very low height and therefore the need to modify the height of the tracks. shipping docks, which involves high costs that are avoided with the present invention.

Description of the invention

The device for the transfer of large tonnage vehicles by rail of the invention is of the type that comprises a platform where the vehicle is embarked, with railway wheels, and with front and rear rail couplings to be coupled to a train, for on-rail traffic. route; and according to the invention it comprises:

-a gondola, formal and dimensionally suitable to board the vehicle to be transported, and -some hydraulic lifting means (hydraulic cylinders) that are interposed between the gondola and the railway wheels.

In this way, the gondola can adopt two positions: a raised one to get level with the vehicle boarding platform, so that they can board laterally, circulating by their own means, thus obviating the need for special means on the platform. , such as high-tonnage shifters and turners, or to adapt the height of the platforms and another lowered with the advantage that the vehicles on board will respect the maximum gauges of the railway routes (catenaries, tunnels, etc.), which means a On the other hand, great cost savings and simplification of the maneuvers and on the other hand, the opening of any railway line to be used as a railway highway. In addition, the provision of second small-diameter railway wheels for the platform, which had a high turning speed and wear, is avoided, and the system's own weight is notably reduced, and can be hooked in any city that has a railway esplanade, regardless of special wagons, loading docks with lateral or rotating shifters, ramps or enormously long shipping chains, with the additional advantage of their great simplicity, and only existing and mostly obsolete railway loading docks will have to be paved.

It also has similar additional advantages to those of the previous model, already described in the background.

Brief Description of Drawings

Figure 1.- Shows a side view of a first variant of the invention, where the railway wheels are arranged at the front and rear of each platform, and where they are appreciate two consecutive platforms: a front platform that appears in a lowered position for traffic on the tracks, and another rear platform that appears elevated for side loading of vehicles and allowing simultaneous loading and unloading of several trucks at the same time.

Figure 2.- Shows a side view of a second variant of the preferred or definitive invention in the evolution of the invention, where the railway wheels are arranged along each platform, and where three consecutive platforms can be seen: a front platform that It appears in a lowered position with the vehicle resting on the trestles formed in the bogies of the railway wheels for circulation on the tracks, and two other rear platforms that appear raised in the loading / unloading position, in which you can see how the truck accesses to its travel position, through the rear platform, and the unloading can be done directly from its position.

Figure 2A.- Shows a detail of an area marked with the letter A in figure 2.

Figure 2B.- Shows a detail of an area marked with the letter B in figure 2.

Figure 3.- Shows a plan view of the variant of figure 2 where the loading maneuver of a truck is shown.

Description of the Preferred Embodiment

The device (1) for moving large tonnage vehicles (2) by railway track (3) of the invention is of the type comprising a platform (4) where the vehicle (2) is embarked, with railway wheels (5) , and with front and rear rail couplings (6) to be coupled to a train, for on-track traffic on the track (3); which according to the invention comprises:

-a gondola (6), formally and dimensionally suitable to board the vehicle (2) to be transported, and

-Hydraulic lifting means (comprising hydraulic cylinders (7)) that are interposed between the nacelle (6) and the railway wheels (5).

In a first variant of the invention shown in fig1, the railway wheels (5) are arranged in respective end groups (50), between whose groups (50) the nacelle (6) is arranged, with the advantage of greater mechanical simplicity but greater length of the wagon or platform and with greater mechanical requirements of the platform due to the large spans between supports on the track.

In a second variant of the invention shown in Figures 2 and 3, the railway wheels (5) are arranged along the entire platform (4), and comprise upper trestles (53) (see Figure 2) for support on the chassis (20) of the vehicle (2) and some anchors (21) for fixing to the chassis (20) of the vehicle (2), with the advantage that the platform (4) is shorter, and requires less mechanical resistance since the light or distance between railway wheels (5) is less, and the platform will only support the weight of the truck during the boarding maneuver, while standing still, therefore with less stress; and during the railway movement it only supports the weight of the vehicle's wheels, since its chassis is directly supported on the track.

In either of the two embodiments, but especially in the second, it is preferred that the platform (4) has a substantially elliptical plan shape, as seen in FIG. 3, which manages to distribute tensile and compressive forces also in the transverse direction of homogeneous and controlled shape, improving mechanical capacity.

It is also preferred that the platform (4) is made of metallic tramex, due to its good resistance in relation to its lightness, by forming a grid.

Finally, the provision of continuity plates (8) between platforms (4) is preferred, which are covering the rail couplings (6), which will achieve a continuous surface between platforms that helps maneuvers and even circulation of persons authorized by it, during the maneuvers.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, and since the description made corresponds only to a preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that within its essentiality, multiple variations of detail may be introduced, also protected, that may affect the shape, size or the manufacturing materials of the assembly or of its parts, without implying any alteration of the invention as a whole, delimited only by the claims that are provided below.

Claims (6)

1. Device (1) for moving large tonnage vehicles (2) by railway track (3), of the type comprising a platform (4) where the vehicle (2) is embarked, with railway wheels (5) and hitches railway (6) front and rear to be coupled to a train, for circulation on track (3); characterized by comprising: -a gondola (6), formally and dimensionally suitable to board the vehicle (2) to be transported, and -Hydraulic lifting means that are interposed between the nacelle (6) and the railway wheels (5). 2. Device (1) for moving large-tonnage vehicles (2) by railway track (3) according to claim 1, where the railway wheels (5) are arranged in extreme groups (50), between whose groups (50) there is ready the gondola (6). 3. Device (1) for moving large tonnage vehicles (2) by railway track (3) according to claim 1, where the railway wheels (5) are arranged along the entire platform (4), and comprise trestles upper (53) for support on the chassis (20) of the vehicle (2) and some anchors (21) for fixing to the chassis (20) of the vehicle (2). 4. Device (1) for transferring large tonnage vehicles (2) by railway track (3) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the platform (4) has a substantially elliptical plan shape. 5. Device (1) for moving large tonnage vehicles (2) by railway track (3) according to any of the preceding claims, where the platform (4) is made of metal tramex. 6. Device (1) for transferring large tonnage vehicles (2) by railway track (3) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein it comprises continuity plates (8) between platforms (4), which are covering the hooks railway (6).